SAE-A held its AGM on May 13, 2025 at the Canterbury International Hotel, Forest Hill.

The meeting was followed by a networking opportunity and an informative presentation by leading CSIRO scientist Dr Adam Best.

Adam educated the packed house on the latest in EV battery technology, but the most interest was raised when he promoted battery research grants for travel to the United States.

SAE-A President Martha Oplopiadis and General Manager Angela Krepcik hosted the AGM section of the night.

Highlights of their presentation included informing attendees of the SAE-A Board’s recent strategic planning session.

The strategic planning session resulted in some great initiatives and outcomes, which will see the SAE-A working towards becoming relevant for today and in the future.

SAE-A is expanding its offerings to match the rate of innovation in mobility and support our engineers across a range of sectors across land, sea and air – inclusive of industry sectors such as defence and aerospace, electric and autonomous vehicles, rail and rolling stock, heavy vehicles (on and off road), and specialty vehicles.

The Society’s strong financial position was also emphasised.

Best was well received and publicised a EV battery research grant from the Australia-US Researcher Exchange Network.

CSIRO is offering Australian researchers the opportunity to advance the future of battery technology through research grants of up to $30,000. These grants will fund one to three month exchanges to the USA, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing with leading US institutions.

The Australia-US Researcher Exchange Network aims to strengthen Australia-US research ties, build Australian research capacity in battery technology, and ultimately contribute to the development of a robust and sovereign Australian battery industry.

Best told attendees this was their chance to deepen their expertise, boost their career and make a real impact on the future of energy storage.

For more information visit www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/funding-programs/funding/australia-us-battery-research-grants